Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as the opening bell rings on March 18, 2026.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
Wednesday night’s U.S. stock futures market was Dow Jones Industrial Average It fell to a new low in 2026 as inflation concerns took hold on Wall Street.
dow futures It fell 71 points (0.15%). S&P500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures They fell by 0.11% and 0.15%, respectively.
Crude oil prices soared, brent crude oil futuresan international benchmark, topped $111 per barrel after settlement. West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Futures At one point, the price per barrel exceeded $100.
micron technology Shares fell more than 4% in extended trading. The semiconductor company’s revenue nearly tripled in its most recent quarter due to memory shortages.
Wall Street is emerging from a disastrous trading session. 30 shares on Wednesday Dow It fell about 768 points (1.6%), setting a new closing price low this year. The benchmark also hit an intraday low in 2026 and ended below its 200-day moving average, a technical level that suggests the index’s long-term trend is now negative.
of S&P500 Although it fell by 1.4%, Nasdaq Composite It fell 1.5%.
The selloff came as surprisingly strong producer price data and rising inflation expectations from the US Federal Reserve fueled fears that the Iran war could move the US economy toward a stagflation scenario, a period of lower growth and higher price pressures.
Expectations for a rate cut have also declined, even though the Fed has signaled there will be one more rate cut this year. Markets last priced in a 52% chance that the central bank would keep policy on hold in 2026, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Investors remain hopeful that stock markets can return to normal, given the backdrop of strong corporate earnings and resilient consumers that remains positive for stocks. For the time being, a significant overhang will remain for the duration of the Iran war.
“The biggest uncertainty or unknown is how long this crisis will last,” Venu Krishna, head of U.S. equity strategy at Barclays, told CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday. “If it lasts longer, the associated inflation and potential growth impacts will be devastating to the market.” “But we’re not there yet. That’s not our base case. We just have to be careful.”
On the economic front, the latest weekly unemployment claims numbers are expected to be released Thursday morning. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Business Index will also be released.
Darden Restaurants A report will be made before the opening.
